


After

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Category: Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Books), Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: 2390s, Enterprise E, F/M, New Beginnings, Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 23:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15568467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Captain Jean-Luc Picard is ready to step down from command after sixty years.





	After

**Author's Note:**

> Uh...So you all heard the news from Star Trek Las Vegas, right? Picard is back, straight from Patrick Stewart's mouth. The new series will take place twenty years after Nemesis, so here's a little peak at how I imagine things starting....

Jean-Luc Picard glanced around his now-empty Ready Room, save for the stacks of wooden crates against the walls.  His models had been packed up, his mementoes from the past twenty plus years of life on the Starship _Enterprise E_ all but erased.  He had served as Captain of this _Enterprise_ longer than he had his first, but between the two, he had Captained an _Enterprise_  for almost thirty years.  He had seen many good, and some not so good, crew pass through his doors and many had gone on to bigger and better things.

The first to depart was his step-son, Wesley.  Wesley had originally left to attend Starfleet Academy, but then decided it wasn’t for him and has been off with the Traveller for many years now, though he had finally started to be a bit better about visiting his parents.  Worf left, returned, and left again and was now in command of his own ship and Jean-Luc couldn’t have been prouder than if Worf was his son.

Will and Deanna left, too, for Will to Captain the Titan and then become promoted to Admiral.  He would tease Jean-Luc over subspace over having to tell his old Captain what to do, but they both knew Jean-Luc’s feelings on accepting the promotion that had been dangled in front of his nose more times than he was willing to admit.  Geordi had finally left his old ship, too.  It had taken a lot to shift Geordi out of Engineering, but they finally found a position for him at Planet Utopia he just couldn’t refuse. 

Jean-Luc still mourned the loss of first Tasha and then Data.  Despite having lost other newer members of his senior staff, it seemed to sting the most whenever he thought about Tasha.  Tasha had been bright, young, and had her career laid out in front of her.  She was taken way too young.  And Data...well, what could he really say about the android who had risked his life to save his?  B-4, Data’s brother, was still around and the Daystrom Institute was still trying to retrieve Data’s personality he had uploaded to his brother before his demise.  If it ever happened,  Jean-Luc would be the first to know. 

And then there was Beverly.  Beverly, the love of his life, and the mother of his child. Beverly and him were coming up on their thirteenth wedding anniversary, even if they felt as though they had actually been together for nearly 40.  He had originally balked at the idea of Beverly becoming his Chief Medical Officer all those years ago simply because he hadn’t known if he could keep his feelings in check around her, but he found that he missed her during her year away at Starfleet Medical, and when she had returned, he had still found it hard to tell her how he felt.  Five years later, he had finally told her, and it had taken them a further ten to actually manage to be together. 

Jean-Luc looked up when he heard the door to the Ready Room swish open, knowing it could only  be one person.  Beverly glanced around the near empty room and grimaced. “It looks so...”

“I know.”  He walked up to her and tucked a piece of her hair, once a flaming red but now muted into a lighter shade streaked with grey, behind her ear before he kissed her cheek. 

“And...are you sure about all of this?”  Jean-Luc shook his head. “I’d be lying if I told you yes.  I don’t know how to _be_ anyone other than Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I’ve been Captain Picard for sixty years.  _Sixty years_ , Beverly.  It’s...”

“A long time,”  Beverly cupped Jean-Luc’s leathered cheek and gave him a quick kiss.  “I know.” 

“Is Rene ready?”  Beverly’s eyes gleamed. “Oh yes.  Rene is looking forward to attending what he is calling ‘real school’ and having ‘real friends’ and getting to play in a ‘real park.’.”  Jean-Luc chuckled.  “We probably should have moved back to earth years ago, given Rene a proper childhood like we had.”  Beverly snorted. 

“Speak for yourself.  My childhood was spent on Arvada Three.  Even if it was still inhabitable, I wouldn’t want to raise a family there,” she paused, pursing her lips.  “And you’re absolutely certain Marie wants us all to move into the vineyard?” Jean-Luc nodded and drew Beverly into his arms.  He kissed her temple.  “She wouldn’t hear any other way.” 

“But...is she ok?  With Rene, I mean?  He’s currently the same age her Rene was when he...” 

“I know.  We’ve spoken about it at lengths, because it’s uncanny how much our Rene resembles her Rene.” 

“Hardly surprising, Jean-Luc.  They would have been cousins.”

“Well, yes, but I like to think Rene has a little bit of his mother in him.”  Beverly grinned.  “He’s definitely my son.  But...I don’t want to make Marie upset when she looks at Rene.” 

“Marie only wants Rene to promise never to go into one of the barns on his own...and I think that’s probably a good rule to have.  When we rebuilt, we used fireproof materials, but that doesn’t mean....”  he trailed off as tears sprung to his eyes, thinking about his brother and his nephew, lost far too soon to a fire at the vineyard.  Beverly leaned up and pecked his lips. “I think that’s a good rule.” 

“And you?  Are you confident in turning over your Sickbay?”  Beverly sighed. “Never. There’s so much of my research that has to be moved, I’m sure the new CMO will think I completely emptied out everything deliberately...”  She shook her head. “Do we know who the new Captain is yet?”

“No. I asked not to be told.  I didn’t think it would be right.  I’ve left them a note in the desk drawer, which they are free to read if they wish, or they can delete it.  But no, I didn’t want to know who would be gaining my ship.”  Beverly nodded.  She didn’t know the name of the new CMO, either, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.  The _Enterprise_ in both of its incarnations were such a large part of their lives, and even their relationship.  Beverly hoped they would be fine once they didn’t have the hum of the ship under their feet or the thrill of being called to stations. 

“You’re _sure_ you’re ready to retire from being a Captain?  I know Will has been suggesting it for several years, but I want to make sure this is entirely your decision.”  

“Thank you.”  He lowered his hands to clasp hers in his and gave them a squeeze.  “Yes, this is what I want.  Being in Starfleet has been my entire life for seventy years.  It’s time to put it behind me.  But you...are you certain _you_ want to leave?  You know, just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean you have to.”

“I’m not.  Strictly speaking, I’ll be working on my own research projects at home, and Geordi has roped me into being a consultant on the new hospital ships.”  Jean-Luc raised his eyebrows at her. “ _Just_ a consultant?” 

“Well...there’s a rumour they wanted to offer me a Captaincy.”  He grinned. “Will you accept?” 

“And what would you do?  Come aboard as my spouse?  You’d be bored, Jean-Luc. Terribly bored.”    Jean-Luc chuckled.  She was probably right.  If he was on a starship, he would probably find it very hard to not be in charge and to sit idly by while other people were in command, even if the Captain was his own wife. “I just don’t want you to give up an opportunity just because you’re worried about me.  I daresay, I’ll have plenty to do with my new position.” 

“Well, we’ll see if I even get offered it.” 

“I’m sure you will.  Now then, I suppose we have some official tasks to take care of.  I have to turn over command to Number One temporarily and then we have that blasted farewell banquet. I suppose I’ll have to wear my dress uniform?” 

Beverly smirked.  “I’ll even fasten your collar for you.” 


End file.
